Go Fish
by rubyblue9696
Summary: Life may seem mapped out and on the straight-and-narrow, but just when you think you see your own big picture, fate comes in to play with an animated deck of cards and tells you, simply, to please 'go fish'. Who knew it would all start with a can of worms? WARNING: Over 18 Only for Language/Lemons.
1. Prologue - Worm?

**_HELLO! Okay, you guys. I'm gonna have another go at a multi-chapter again with this one. Did some of you wonder wth was taking so long? (It's only been like 25 or so days since I posted last, lol.) But seriously… I was in writer's-limbo, and jonesin' too, and I beat around the bush a bit—or rather I beat myself up mentally—about 'how to go about' preparing for this one. So, after much consideration, I decided. I'M JUST GONNA FLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS(!)... at least some of the time anyway... and try to rock it, too. *snickers quietly*_**

**_Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events._**

**_Not beta'd (yet)._**

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 01 Prologue – Worm?**

"You goin' on to The Spot now?"

Bella looks up from where she sits on the front porch steps of her home, tying her laces up tight. Shading her eyes from the morning glare off the lake's surface, she smiles at Mr. Marks. He stands in his yard, where he's currently smoking his pipe—of all things to have to smell in the morning—and enjoying his morning coffee. As usual, he's wearing his robe and ratty slippers.

She calls back, "I am, and you know that already, Max. You're treading thin ice, too. You'll be lucky to get any more fish from me if you keep sending Embry Young down to check on me."

He just waives Bella off, tobacco smoke puffin' over his left shoulder as he turns to walk back up to his rickety porch chair.

Bella snorts. She's known Maxim Marks her entire life. He likes to keep an eye on her just like she keeps an eye on him. And don't let his name fool you, either. It might sound like a spy-toon character's name, except he's anything but that. Everything's been really hard on him, too, what with Charlie being gone now. No one had seen it coming. Not even Bella.

One day your father—and only parent—just straight up isn't here anymore.

Poof.

It's been a struggle, both emotional and physical. Good thing finances aren't one of them.

Her heart tinges painfully in her chest and she gulps back the sudden tight, almost choking, lump clogging her throat. Deep breath in, she hollers, loud, again, "I'll bring 'round some cornbread later."

He waves up at her again from his chair as she grabs her stuff and heads off and along the side of her blue-painted house toward her destination. There're chores to get done later in the day, and if she wants to relax for a bit, then she will need to use her time wisely.

The path leading to The Spot is well-worn and small. Not many had made use of it except Bella, Charlie and a few others that were close to them through the years. The blue house was the last one, off at the end of Toe Road. It sits next to Max's, right on the edge of Mud Cat Lake, way down where the trees are dense and grow in number, and the wind blows stronger, both from lack of obstruction and from the lake's current. There is greenery and dirt paths everywhere she could look from inside and out of her four walls.

Carefully, she maneuvers around a few rocks poking up through the smooth dirt. As she gets closer, she stops at the tree line, staring. Calm.

And, completely rattled.

He's just standing there…in her spot, exactly. Well, _their_ old spot.

Not surprising, really. Her legs want to take her forward, but her mind stops her as she remembers. Deep breath. A gust of wind blows the loose hair from her bun across her neck and face. She shivers.

He looks exactly the same but different, older.

Slow, she steps onto the pebble-filled sand at the water's edge. She tries not to bolt when he doesn't notice her there. She refuses to be a wimp, clearing her throat before she speaks.

"You're s'posed to be fishing, not staring."

Edward's eyes refocus, startling at her abrupt appearance. Rubbing his chest, he shakes his head, saying, "Jesus, Swan, give me a heart attack, why don't you. Damn."

Cut-off blue-jean covered thighs stop a few feet away from him. It feels like miles. It's been a while since he left.

Dropping two old-as-time bamboo rods to the dirt, she toes at the water's edge then glances side-eyed to where he is, standing with his too-long crazy hair in the mucky water, ankle-deep and just as overwhelmingly handsome as ever. He needs a haircut.

She shrugs, answering, "Sorry about that," as she squints up into the morning sun again, then back down.

An awkward silent moment passes, then he clears his throat, asking, "You're runnin' the place now, right? Mom said, so uh…"

Bella snorts, "Esme never was one for keeping secrets. I'll bet she's told you that I still come fishing here every weekend, too."

Guilty green eyes smile as he rubs at the back of his neck, "It didn't even take five minutes for me to be home before she did." His ears turn bright red. He scratches at one.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret. She told me you were home, too, ya' know. Besides, everyone around here knows that Charlie and I were religious about Sunday fishing. Why would I stop now?" Her chest tightens again, sudden and hard. She blinks the sharp sting in her eyes back stubbornly, looking at the flowing water, "I like to think he's here with me."

Edward looks at his eight-years-lost friend. He whispers, "He is absolutely, one-hundred percent here, Bella." Then, trying to lighten the mood, he says, "Esme said the cabins are better kept than ever, now. Reservation book's filling up."

Little smile, "Yeah, well I gotta admit I've got my hands full with the renovations. I'm thinking I'm going to need to hire someone to help out with the grounds work and heavier stuff, though. Grass grows tall as weeds in the blink of an eye."

They fall quiet and watch the reflections on the water.

The frown on Edward's face gives away none of his thoughts.

Bella fidgets on her feet as she breathes deep and steady. Then she holds out the can still clutched in her right hand, "Worm?"

A crooked smile appears as he rubs his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head at her, "Is it really going to be this easy, Bella?"

Hand still offering bait for the spare pole, she's quiet with her response, "Well, yeah." She fidgets.

He blinks. He can't believe she's still so fucking faultless, flawless; a forever-loyal fortress, no matter what, making her even more beautiful…stunning.

Reaching, he swipes the can of worms out of her outstretched hand, smiling, "Okay, let's fish, Swan."

There's a nervous flurry of movement as they each ready their respective poles, and now they are fishing together just like old times with Charlie those summers past. Bella flings her rod and lands the bobber out good. She squints then asks, "How long you staying?"

He doesn't even hesitate as his own line flies out past hers, "I'm stayin' for good."

"Oh." Her heart constricts with an entirely new feeling now. She bites her lips then says with a mock-glare, "Well, don't break Charlie's rod."

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**_a/n …*pink lady strut*…yep…*waves to everyone*...give me some love and let me know what you think…review review review…please please please...love..._**

**_01/29/14: the above chapter has now been beta'd by two most awesome ladies, itsange and Jcat5507, over at PTB…yeah!...thank you thank you..._**

**_xx jess_**


	2. Pond

******_Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events._**

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**Go Fish **

**Chapter 02 – Pond**

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Tossing the tied-off bag containing one bass fish onto the mess of his kitchen counter, he moves back a step, pausing to make sure nothing falls to the dirty floor. Nothing does, even after a muck-covered glass jar full of _fuck knows what_ teeters a bit.

He sighs and scrubs his face.

It's been exactly one week and one day since he's planted himself here. There's been no accomplishment made of any sort, either. Well, except sleep.

That's probably what Ol' Man Weber was doing at the end, too. Sleeping and dreaming his memories and regrets away; poor bastard. He was sort of a crotchety old man, but he was loved by all here in this little off-the-map town of Adam's Ale, Texas. He'd died alone, too. His only family member—his granddaughter, Angela—was not around at the time, and no one else had been there to comfort him in the end. Lung cancer. Denied treatment.

Esme and Carlisle weren't exactly thrilled with their only son's choice of living arrangements at first. Don't get them wrong 'cause it's not like they're living in the lap of luxury themselves. They still live above their variety store, located at the start of Toe Road, just off of the 183. They sell fishing bait and camper's supplies along with food, drink and such, and are mostly known for their candy, though. It's always been Esme's specialty. But Edward was adamant about his choice…sure, even. Without a doubt in his mind he knows this place is where he needs to be.

Where he can heal and grow.

This house-on-the-water of his is perfect. For one, it's not easily accessible so he will be left alone for the most part, what with being surrounded by lake water. There's only one way to get here and that is by boat alone…unless you swim, or Jet Ski, or paddle boat, or canoe. His small, ancient, one-motor boat came with his purchase of the house.

There is also Bella. He's just around the bend from her home, which is itself located next to her five cabins. She's just a handful of minutes away by water or fifteen by land. Their proximity is unintentional on his part, but highly favorable none the less. She has no idea he's that close, yet.

Edward's green eyes look back at the fish. Some things never change.

She'd caught four fish and he'd caught zero, zip…nada.

Granted, she'd driven a hard bargain making him gut and clean all of her prizes, but he can't help but feel like he came out the victor with the morning's events because Bella—as always—runs her show perfectly. He could only stare and admire.

His cell signals from where it lies on his half-hazard bed around back from his wreck of a kitchen. Blinking and scrubbing his face again, he heads back there and picks it up from the rumpled bedding, almost tripping over his clothes from yesterday as he scrolls to find the new text from Jasper.

_**You been down yet? –J**_

He snorts at the nosey fucker.

_**Just now. –E**_

'_**Bout fucking time, man. –J**_

_**Whatever, dude. We just talked about this last night! –E**_

_**i.e. Fifteen hours ago, pussy. What happened? –J**_

Edward looks out the side window over his bed, staring at nothing but water and more mess through the two broken panes there.

_**She gave me a fish. –E **_

_**You mean she took pity on your lame ass and let you have one of hers. –J**_

_**Fuck off, Jasper! –E**_

_**Seriously, she gave you a fish, sooooo…you…are in…the pond…again. Don't fuck it up! –J**_

_**I know. I won't. –E **_

_**Come over later tonight. We'll watch the game. –J **_

_**Sure thing. –E **_

_**Bring that fish. –J **_

Shaking his head at his friend, Edward powers off his cell and tosses it to the bed again. Flopping down to lay across his mattress, he stares up at the ceiling, watching as something floats and falls down to his t-shirt covered chest, landing right over his heart. Eyes back up, he takes in the paint curls and cracks and sees that it's about to fall off in parts. The place needs an overhaul of enormous proportion. Ol' Man Weber really let the place go and was sort of a pack rat.

Sitting back up and brushing off the fallen paint chip, he stands and heads back through the kitchen and out the front door into the bright noon sun to find that empty crate. First things first: his bedroom. Shit needs to go if he wants to thrive here, starting with the bed linens and clothes still hanging in the closet.

After a good thirty minutes or so, he's got a large amount piled at one end of his boat, ready to take to the clearing and burn. He's covered in sweat, dust and dirt from head to heel. It feels both good and disgusting at the same time.

"Edward?"

Not stopping, he calls out, "I'm back here, mom." His crate is almost full again. Ol' Man Weber had a lot of shirts.

He can hear her flip-flops moving across the floor, sticking in certain unsavory places as they go, until she comes to a stop at the corner where the kitchen ends and his bedroom begins. He doesn't stop working.

She sighs out, "Edward."

"Esme." It's a mimic.

"I would have thought you'd already have some of this mess cleaned up by now, sweetheart."

"Yeah, well, sleeping tends to get in the way."

"Oh my God, my poor baby! They really wrecked you at that awful place, didn't they?" She rushes to him and wraps her motherly arms around his waist, hugging him despite his continued movements. "I swear if that producer guy—oh what's-his-name—dares to show his face around here his days will be numbered! You should let your father help out. He—"

"It's Felix, and no, Mom." Groaning, he stops throwing stuff into the crate and pats her hands clasped at the front of his stomach. He looks over his should at her worried, light-green eyes. "I need to do this myself. It's just…important that I do this myself, okay? Besides, I've already hired an attorney in L.A. to sue the bastard and his entire production label. They'll all get what's coming to them and regret the day they decided to take credit for my sound work and rip me off."

Sniffling a tiny bit, she says quietly, "Okay. I understand and you are right. I just can't help my instincts and neither can Carlisle." She releases him from her arms and steps back. "I brought you some lunch and don't you dare tell me you won't eat it."

He barks a quick laugh. "Oh, I'll eat it alright. That fridge in there's busted. I've been eating at the diner twice a day most days."

"Well, you could do worse than that, I know. Angela's a wonderful cook and health conscious, too." She waggles her pointer-finger up in the air as she speaks. "You know it's not really a diner anymore, either, what with the menu revamp and all that beer. _BarleyPop_. It's a good name. I'm glad she made the change, especially now after that write-up in _The Lux Chronicle_." Moving to the stacks of old newspapers along one wall, she picks one up off of the top and huffs out, "My God, this is dated 1996," and then she drops it back down with a plop, dust flying into the air.

When he doesn't respond, she turns back around to see him still at work. "Come to dinner tonight?"

Edward wipes the sweat from his brow, bending to lift the now-full crate as he answers a blunt, "Can't," and then walks out of his bedroom and back through the kitchen.

She's admonishing as she follows. "Edward. You have barely spent ten minutes with your father and me."

He keeps going, speaking back over his shoulder again as he moves, "That's not exactly true. You know I've been regrouping." He walks through his propped-open front screen door and across the front deck of his floating house to where his boat is tied, dumping the lot on top of the growing pile then tossing the crate aside. He looks around. "How'd you get here, anyway?"

"I flew."

It's a pout. It makes him feel guilty.

Sighing, he wipes his dirty hands on his jeans and goes over to where she's standing beside his weathered, painted-red picnic table under his awning. The tips of his work boots softly tap at the toes of her flip-flops. "I love you guys. I know you want to help me out and I appreciate it. I also know y'all have been missing me these last years. I'm planting my ass here from now on, so please…understand when I say these things and let me do this my way."

Esme looks deep into her only child's green eyes. She can tell he means every word. "Okay."

He moves around her to pick up a fallen over chair and rights it. "Besides, I already told Jasper I'd be over to his place tonight for the game."

She perks up at this information. "Oh, that's fantastic! You two always made a good team."

He smiles and ducks his chin, remembering. "That we did, even when we were up to no good. Bella said she's had a time of it keeping him out of trouble, though. Two words: Embry Young. Jasper's knack for growing herb in his cellar has only improved I'm told, but I'm sure you know nothing about any of that, right?"

"Edward Mason Cullen." It's a warning, however mildly delivered. "What your father and I do in our spare time is no concern of yours." She walks over to where her flower-power canoe waits floating for her at the tie-post, and says, "As for Deputy Young, he can just put his nose in someone else's business for once and keep his distance from us Toe Roaders."

He scoffs out, "Yeah, right. As if he's capable of that feat." Moving to take her hand, Edward helps his mom down into the canoe, making sure it stays balanced. When she settles in he asks, "How 'bout I come for breakfast in the morning? Some corn cakes and ham would surely have me 'round often enough…hint, hint."

Her long skirt flapping in the wind, she takes the paddle and pushes away from the deck, smiling back her answer. "Often enough will never be enough for me, baby boy. But you got it, and I'll even make some honey butter to go along with it, too. Now go eat your lunch. It's muffaletta."

He grins and nods, waving her off and on her way. "See you two stoners in the morning, Mom."

Laughing, she turns the multi-colored canoe around and begins to paddle away. When she's a good twenty feet out, she yells back, "I knew it wouldn't take long for you to search Bella out. Good boy."

He rolls his eyes at that remark and heads back into his crammed kitchen, scratching behind his muck covered ear. The cabinets—which have no doors—are jammed full of various stuff from boxes to pots 'n pans, rope…even a very old and worn yellow rain jacket. He pulls that box out, as it's marked FOUND, and sets it on top of his crusty stove and begins fishing through its content, knocking a stack of clear plastic cups over with his elbow in the process. He curses.

Ignoring the mess, he keeps digging through the items. There's an old camera, a key chain with about twenty keys, a baseball cap which is frayed around the bill, a pocket knife, some sunglasses and other stuff. It seems as if these are all lost items that Ol' Man Weber ran across and saved. When he gets to the bottom he stops. There's something in the corner that is very familiar.

Long fingers reach and grasp to bring it up and out. He lets it hang down from his pointer finger. The shine is gone but it warms his heart instantly.

A heart-shaped golden locket dangles from a delicate gold chain.

He stares and smirks, his heart flying high at his luck. "Well, fuck me..."

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**a/n: thanks again to PTB for their awesomeness...and to renircx and AkilaM (babykay19) for their fantastic and much appreciated beta efforts...love...now let me hear what you guys think...please...review review review...more love...**

xxx jess


	3. Drawin'

******_Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events._**

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 03 – Drawin'**

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"Order up, ladies. One veggie mole with avocado corn salad para ti…"

Bella sits back in her booth, smiling through her reply. "Thanks, Ang. This looks fantastic as usual."

The tall, bespectacled woman smiles down at her long-time friend and winks. "No problemo, amiga. And, one fried coconut shrimp with chilled mandarin goat cheese and wild rice salad."

"Oh, my God!" There's a hyper little clap. "Bella wasn't kiddin' around. This looks fantastic!" Alice's eyes about grow double their size as she zeroes in on the plate placed in front of her. "I'll bet you made this marmalade homemade, too."

Angela nods as she wipes her hands clean on her kitchen towel and loops it back through her amazingly-still-clean apron. "That I did."

It's Wednesday night, and the place is still packed at eight o'clock. That's unusual for small town restaurants. But things have changed, that's for sure; at least with this place they have.

_BarleyPop_ attracts diners through its doors from all surrounding areas of Adam's Ale. No doubt it will continue to reflect well for other local business owners, too. Seems most have seen an increase in business, even if it's just a little.

One of the most commented upon things is the fact that everyone gets a booth. People love booths. Each one is adorned with hand-painted ceramic tiled tabletops, which are really nice to look at, and the beer bar stretching across the entire east wall is something spectacular in and of itself. Black polished wood, cushioned red leather bar stools, and its over one-hundred displayed beer varieties draw you in right away—along with one smiley-face bartender, Jacob Taylor—making you want to hang out longer than you probably should.

Angela and Jacob have been together forever and a day—since the second grade. They got married at the ripe young age of eighteen and weren't kiddin' around when they'd told everyone, including Bella, Edward and Jasper, that they knew their path and there's "no sense in settin' time to waste". They'd both signed up for a few business courses over at the community college in Lux, and when they were done with that, Angela used her inheritance money—saved in trust after her parent's death when she was just twelve—to purchase _The Old Dinner_.

Seriously, that was its name before.

Having lived with Sue Cope and not with 'Ol Man Weber—her sole surviving relative, but that's a whole nother story—while finishing up grades seven through twelve, Angela had become a wonderful cook. She's a real wiz in the kitchen, thanks to Sue as well as to her own self-taught studies. She can be very innovative.

Propping her hip against the booth, Angela asks Alice, "So, Bella here says you're staying in the newly renovated cabin, right? How is it?"

"Yep, I'm in the _Four-Nerve Daisy_. Let me just say the website does not do it justice. I love it." Her deep blue eyes move across the table to land on Bella as she places her green-and-white checkered cloth napkin across her lap. Boastful, she continues, "And this one here will take none of the credit."

Bella's reply is modest. "Honestly, I only did a little of the work on that cabin. My dad did most before—"

She stops sudden, and when she feels Angie's fine-boned hand squeeze her shoulder, she continues, a little more quiet. "Charlie gets credit. He already did all the hard stuff. I, um, just have to put all the pieces together on the other three that he'd started, and I can take in more guests." Looking down, she lets the pointer finger of her right hand run circles around the open mouth of her empty beer bottle, remembering the pain and how hard she'd cried at his funeral four months ago.

"Oh, dammit. I didn't mean to upset you, Bella. Here I am, arrived just two days ago and putting my foot in my mouth already." Alice's worried voice trails off as she slumps back in her booth.

Blinking away her thoughts, Bella picks up her fork, poking at her plate as she tries to reassure her. "It's okay. Really Alice." Redirecting, she says, "I've got a new couple stayin' in the old _Blackfoot Daisy_ cabin for six weeks, beginning tomorrow. They said they'd be happy to be its last tenants before it's demoed after the other three are set to take guests again. Apparently the husband has arms like a gorilla and might even do it himself before they leave."

Angela snorts. "Gorilla arms? Hmm, I gotta see that." She grabs the two empty bottles of beer and backs away from the two seated women toward the bar. "I'll send over two more, okay? And you tell Sue to come out of that damn house every once in a while. I miss her."

"All right, I will." She straightens a strap on her fuchsia-colored tank then smoothes a few loose strays out of her face and blows on her hot plate.

Swallowing down her first bite, Alice asks, "Who's Sue?"

"Sue is Angie's quasi-parent and my almost step-mom. She's taking Charlie's death pretty hard. Been up at the big house alone most days since. I go check on her, but she's not really wanting any visitors just yet."

"Oh, that big white house at the top of the hill? It's beautiful. Just like something out of the late 1800's. Old country charm and grace."

"Yeah, well you should have seen the inside before Sue moved in. Nothing had been redone since Grandpa Ephraim's days. Charlie raised me there after Grandpa passed away when I was one."

"It must have been really cool growing up on the lake." Alice's eyes sort of glaze a bit then look pinched. She shakes it off. "Anyway, I'd love to meet Sue and have a look at what she's done."

Bella's not listening. She can barely swallow the bite she's chewing.

She's just seen one Jasper Raxlin and one Edward Cullen enter _BarleyPop's _front door. Butterflies erupting, she kind of sort of sinks down a bit in her booth, maybe trying to hide…or stare. Of course, Jasper sees her right away and elbows Edward in his ribs then nods her way. When Edward's eyes land on her, his face splits into a shit-eating grin.

Bella can feel heat break out on her face.

At the bell's ring, Angela approaches the newcomers with a loaded tray in her arms and motions to the bar where Jacob is waiving at them from across the way. He holds up two fingers, nodding, and turns away to pull open a cooler door while Jasper, now carrying a couple of beers from Angela's tray, heads Bella's way. He's grinning like a loon while Edward follows, eyes trained on Bella.

"Well, hello, ladies." Two callused male hands set the fresh bottles of Apricot microbrew right where the empties had been before. "Fancy meeting you here."

Bella's head cocks to the side, still staring at Edward. "Yeah, fancy that. This is becoming a habit." She sees that his hair is damp from a shower.

Sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and bouncing a few times on his toes, Edward eyes their plates of hot food. "Mind if we sit for a bit?"

Taking in her oldest friend, Bella can't decide if he's being confident or cocky…or just plain smug—of what she has no idea. "Sure, have a seat." Her hand waves in dramatized invitation.

Edward moves first, sliding in and scooting right up beside Bella; personal space be damned. Her pretty plucked eyebrows shoot skyward at how close he gets, and she can feel the heat from his body and smell his clean, soapy male scent. He looks completely relaxed whereas now, Bella is stiff and very aware of his proximity and how handsome he is in his white V-neck tee and blue jeans. She feels nervous.

Biting her lower lip, she glances across the table quickly to Alice and sees the dark-haired pixie staring wide-eyed and a bit wary at Jasper, who's now sitting next to her. She's pressed herself as far into the wall as she can, giving him as much space as possible. She looks a little uncomfortable.

Jasper offers his hand, his southern drawl on full blast. "Hello there, ma'am, I'm Jasper Raxlin. I own _Crawdad's_ just up the way from Bella's cabins. I saw you drive in the other day."

Alice let's her small hand briefly touch his in greeting as she barely sounds out, "Alice," before she snatches her hand away and shoves it under her thigh.

It doesn't go unnoticed. "Aww, now…don't be shy. You'll be seein' quite a bit of me to be sure. I'm often down that-a-way, fixin' or haulin' for Bella and Mad Max." He grins and leans closer. "Or, sometimes I'm retrieving a lost canoe or two. They love to get loose."

Alice arches a brow, saying from her spot flush to that painted-blue wall, "Canoe? Wh-why do you have canoes?"

"That's part of his business. Canoes and paddleboats for rent on Mud Cat Lake. Bicycles, too." It's Edward who answers then takes a long pull from Bella's long-neck. He side-eye's her as he drinks, grinning; his boot coming into contact with her flip-flop.

Brown eyes are glued to Edward's throat as he swallows down the brew. She snaps out of it, and she moves her foot a bit as she swipes her beer back before he can drink it halfway down, setting it away. "You mooch. Get your own damn beer." She can tell he's in wantin' to play around.

Smirking, his green eyes drift down her frame and back up. "I couldn't wait. That tasted good, too." He licks his lips as he's waggling his full eyebrows at her.

Bella looks away, trying to hide her grin and wondering at Edward's mood. She focuses on Alice, who's now staring at the two of them closely as she eats another fried shrimp. Jasper's staring at them, too. Bella rolls her eyes as she makes the second introduction. "This is my old friend, Edward. His parent's own _Moose's Mini Mart_."

Alice brightens at this, wiping her hands. "Oh, I met them yesterday. Esme and Carlisle, was it? They are a hoot. She offered me some brownies."

Edward snorts and sits back, shaking his head, knowing what might have been in those brownies. "She would." He looks back at Bella and moves his left boot across the cement floor until he finds Bella's again. "Bella here knows all about them. She could tell a story or two." He stretches his left arm back across the booth behind Bella's shoulders like it's nothin'.

Jasper takes in the movement with his light-colored eyes, shaking his head silently at his friend's suavity. He nods at Bella. "Bet Bella can tell a few about you, too, Edward."

Angie shows up with two Shiner Bocks and some warmed tortilla chips with fire roasted salsa topped with sour cream. Hand on hip, she says, thumbing over her boney shoulder, "Compliments of the hubs."

Giving thanks, the boys dive right in. Angela asks if they want menus, but they both decline, just wanting a few beers for now. Jasper teases her and grabs her behind her knee lightly, "You know, if that Jacob Taylor hadn't snagged your heart in second grade, you'd be mine for sure, darlin'."

"So you've said a hundred times or more, Jasper." Angela swats his hand away and flicks her kitchen towel at his thigh. "Keep your hands to yourself, and stop trying to butter me up for free queso." Her eyes narrow. "I know your ways, through and through."

Edward's sneaking a toasted chip into Bella's mole sauce when Alice squeaks and sits up straight and very stiff. Her icy eyes are shooting daggers at Jasper. "If you would be so kind, I need out…to…to visit the powder room."

Jasper sort of freezes, and then he's in motion, sliding out and standing back a bit. "Ma'am."

Alice scoots out and stands straight. The vibe coming from her small frame is not pleasant. She glances around, not knowing where to go, and Angela steps up. "It's this way, sweetie." They walk away in silence.

Bella looks worried as she watches them go. Her eyes flicker back and land on Edward, who's watching her, his face not three inches away. The hairs rise on the back of her neck.

He whispers, "Is she okay?"

She shakes her head, whether to clear it or as answer she doesn't really know. "I can't say. We've been getting along good. That's the first time I've seen her react to something that way. She's been happy and excited about the renovated cabin she's occupying. Seems full of energy mostly, and she wants to get out and meet Sue and see how we live. She's nice." Bella shrugs, her eyes drifting down to where some of his chest hairs show at the V of his shirt. She forces her eyes away.

Jasper slides back in, puffing out a long slow breath. He's confused. "Shit. Well, I hope it wasn't something I said."

Edward's tossed a broken chip into Jasper's chest. "It's _always_ something you say."

Jasper tosses the chip right back. "Well, I would hate for the little lady to develop a bad seed inside where I'm concerned. I was just foolin' with Ang as usual."

Bella smacks Edwards chip away from her sauce and says, "I wouldn't worry about it, Jaz. She's just met us all, and she's probably just tired after her travel. You two can be a bit much for a girl."

Angela comes back, looking a little concerned. "She's asked for dinner to go." She hands two boxes to Bella. "I explained that Jasper was just messin' around. She's embarrassed, though, waiting out back by your truck, Bella."

Bella blinks and frowns, understanding. "Oh, okay, no. That's fine." She starts to box up their plates. Edward helps, his arm leaving the back of the booth and causing his thigh to come flush with Bella's as he reaches across for Alice's abandoned plate.

A sudden thrill shoots through Bella's spine. She just keeps working.

It's a troubled sigh that escapes Jasper. He drains his beer and sets it down then scrubs a hand over his face and says, "You down for one more, man?"

"One more, yeah." Closing the lid, Edward sets it on top of Bella's.

"Dinner's on me, Bella Bee." Jasper's look is pointed. "Sorry for the upset."

"Jasper, it's fine. She got unglued, but it's nothing that was done on purpose. You don't have to do that."

"I know it, but I want to." He throws two twenties down and stands. "I'll be at the bar."

"Meet you there in a few." Edward stays seated; his arm moves back behind Bella's shoulders.

Bella watches his movements. She finally snorts.

"What?"

"Really? What? You…that's what."

"A guy can't put his arm around his friend?"

"Edward, you've been in my space since you sat down, like, literally. It's weird." She motions between their two bodies.

He shrugs. "I'm cold." His grin gives away his lie.

Now she laughs out loud. "Seriously? If you're cold, then I must be freezing."

At those words, he can't help himself. His eyes flick down. "I would agree."

She looks down, too, seeing what he's seeing. She smacks his chest and covers her breasts. "Oh, my God, Edward! What the hell? Did you regress in maturity during your years away?"

At those words, the corners of his mouth dip down as he remembers. Looking straight at her, he starts, "Look, Bella…I made a big mistake taking that job after grad school. I never should have—"

"Edward, please. Can we not do this right now?" She stares back, imploring.

He doesn't answer, just nods.

Their eyes move over each other.

Swallowing thickly, Edward says softly, "So, um…I was thinking you and I should exchange numbers."

Her eyebrows rise. "Oh, really."

"Well, yeah." He's looking at her like the answer is obvious. "You're my friend…and now you're my neighbor. We should have each other's numbers."

Her jaw drops. "You didn't."

He grins. "I did."

"Edward Cullen, you mean to tell me you've been just around the corner from me this whole time and I didn't even know?"

"Nine days now. Moved in two days after I landed. Been cleaning out Ol' Man Weber's shit and doing some repairs. You won't believe some of the stuff I have found."

She huffs back, stunned. Her hand runs through her long brown hair. She points her finger in his face. "So that was you burning stuff up in the field."

He squints and grabs her finger in his hand. "Yep." He doesn't let go. "You're number…"

Her eyes narrow. "Fine. But don't think you can abuse it. Just because you're back and I gave you my worm—_and_ _a fish_—doesn't mean you don't have some serious groveling to do." Her finger slips free, and she gets out her phone.

"Mmm, I love to grovel. It's, like, my favorite past-time."

"Dork. Give me your number."

After it's punched in she hits send, and a few seconds later, Edward's phone chimes from his back pocket.

"There, now let me out, you tool."

Sliding out, he grabs the food and follows Bella to the back entrance. He seems a little nervous now when she reaches for the containers. "So, um…will you send me a text, or call even, letting me know you and Alice are safe back at the cabins?" His hand lifts to rub at the back of his neck.

"No, I will not. This is Adam's Ale, Edward. Not the scary big city." She goes to push out the door, but he stops her.

"I'm serious, Bella. Just let me know when you get to your front door. Especially if you see anything…unusual." His eyes shift around.

She looks at his handsome face, his slight smile reminding her of mischief and younger years and a boy with too-long hair running around her. "Okay." It's a whisper.

With that, he opens the door for her and watches her walk toward her beat-up truck. He can't help noticing the sway in her hips.

Jasper comes to hand him his beer. "What are you up to?"

Bella looks back over her shoulder, and Edward makes the "call me" sign by his ear.

"Well, I'm sure as shit not drawin' water."

"Nope, you're drawin' Bella." Jasper snorts. "'Bout fucking time, fucker. You already spent those first two decades as that girl's best friend, runnin' off everyone else who came sniffin' 'long the way. Having a repeat won't get you the love of your life for the next six more. So get to work."

Edward grins and takes a swig then punches Jasper in his shoulder. "I've already started."

Sipping his beer, Jasper watches along with Edward as Bella's truck backs up, and she heads out of _BarleyPop's_ back lot. Jasper's serious when he says, "You break her heart like you did before—leavin' the way you did on her nineteenth birthday—I'll break both your legs."

Edward's quiet, taking in his friend's warning.

He looks over and grips Jasper's shoulder. "Never again."

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**a/n …(not beta'd/mistakes are my own)…thank you guys for all you fantastic reviews…i LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys…now…please let me here it…review, review, review…*mwa***

**ages: Edward (30), bella (27), jasper (30)**

**xxx jess**

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**02/20/14 note: this chapter has now been beta'd by the most fabulous jcat5507...she's a rock star!...she makes me unafraid of comma's...and em dashes, too...love... **


	4. Your Mama

_**I love you guys. Thank you so much for your reviews. They make me smile huge, and keep writing, too.**_

_**Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events.**_

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_**beta'd by jcat5507**_

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 04 – Your Mama**

Driving down 183 back toward Toe Road, Bella glances to her right and notices Alice chewing on a nail, distressed and sort of zoned out. Not wanting to intrude, but at the same time needing to reassure her, Bella says, "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? You're just gettin' to know us all. Jasper's just sorry that it was his actions that set you off." She watches Alice give a small nod, not knowing if it's in agreement or at some other thought runnin' around inside the petit woman's head.

Brown eyes move back to the road.

"I've…left…" Alice's barely heard words stop as she takes a deep breath. She looks out the side window as she continues. "I left something bad behind me, Bella. Something I want to forget." She huffs then, sitting up straight and turning back to Bella. "I came here to begin again. Start a new path, you know? Put it all behind me and live." She gives a self-derisive snort next. "Obviously, it's reared its ugly head without my permission."

"Hey, it's okay. I promise. You don't have to explain anything to me."

"Thanks." Alice's reply is quiet, and she relaxes back into her seat.

Bella reaches, turning on the radio, and an old tune comes on. She starts whistling along and cracks her window a bit. A few of her hairs whip softly around her face, and she smiles, thinking about Edward and how much she really liked having him sit so close, right next to her. They may have been the best of friends all those years, but she can't remember him ever doing that before.

His scent and his heat and that long arm behind her about drove her crazy. She's always been attracted to him, first with true childhood friendship and then a teenage crush, despite his apparent lack of awareness…or return. But now, she's suddenly thrown for a loop where's he's concerned. He seems different.

She starts humming along to the song and sees a long-eared rabbit dart down the side of the road, and then it runs into the bushes and out of sight. She smiles and looks out at the star-filled sky. She can still see the pink and orange along the horizon as the sky turns to midnight blue. Texas sunsets have always been special to Bella, especially when viewed from her front porch over the lake.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm…wi-i-ild horses…can't drag me a-way-ay-ay…dum-dum-dum-de-dum…wild wild hor-or-ses…they can't take me—"

Alice cracking up stops Bella's singing—if that's what you'd call it—but she's able to get out a few words. "You're _horrible_ at singing. Those aren't even the right words." She giggles, her shoulders shaking as she covers her mouth with her hand.

"Ha! I know…and who cares?" She hums some more and then sings louder, "Faith's been broken…tears must be cried…hmm hmm…some livin' when we die…wi-ild hor-or-ses…can't drag me a-way-ay-ay…"

Alice joins in, despite her giggling. "Wild, wild hor-or-ses…we'll ride them someday…"

They laugh and smile together as the song fades.

"I know what's got you in such a good mood." Alice's wide eyes stare at Bella, waiting for her reply.

Bella's face heats. "Oh, really?"

"Yep. That handsome friend of yours, Edward Cullen. Seems like 'friend' might not be the most accurate term to use where you two are concerned."

"Well, that's exactly what we are. I won't lie, I love that he's come back. I didn't realize how much I truly missed him until I laid eyes on him again."

"You both seemed smitten, I'm tellin' you." It's almost sing-songed as Alice takes in Bella's face as she's chewin' on her lower lip. She presses. "Why'd he leave here, anyway?"

Bella blinks and stays quiet, remembering that day eight years ago and still not really believing that it had even happened.

Despite Edward's time away at college, and then at grad school, studying music technology, while she finished up high school, their bond had never lessened. One day they'd been livin' and growin' up together, and the next, your best friend suddenly arrives at your birthday dinner sayin' he's taking off for L.A. It was so sudden, like a simultaneous punch to the heart and the gut. But she knows that's not all of what happened.

It was the night before, too.

At _The Old Diner_.

She presses on the brakes, slowing down to turn left onto Toe Road. They pass by _Moose's Mini Mart_ at the corner where she sees Carlisle closing up shop, smokin' a joint. She shakes her head, waving, and he waves back as he starts to walk up the side stairs to where Esme waits on the second floor, most likely cooking dinner. He's got his overalls in a twist.

Bella loves Carlisle and Esme like nothin' else. No one around like 'em.

Sitting forward, she turns down the radio and finally gives her answer. "He left because I kissed him."

They're just passing _Crawdad's_ when Alice practically shrieks, "Because you kissed him? Oh, that can't be it!"

"Well, it is. I was drunk—for the very first time—and it was Embry Young's doin'." A stray lock of sun-kissed brown hair flies into her eyes, and she swats it away. "We'd been workin' together all day long, repainting the posts on the boardwalk out over Mud Cat Lake for Charlie, and Embry said we should celebrate because we'd just finished a job well done. He had a flask of whiskey."

"Embry?"

Nodding, Bella explains, "Yeah, he's a boy that went to our school, same class as Edward and Jasper, three years ahead of me. He's a Deputy now for Walleye County, stationed out of Lux. Still comes around to bug me."

"Now it's getting good. Tell me more."

"Well, I hadn't eaten much because of the workin', and after drinkin' two big swallows down, I was very, very tipsy. Embry said we should go get a bite to eat, so we headed to the diner, and Edward was there, and he saw me stumbling and weaving. He was livid. He and Embry never really got along. They were sort of rivals, like in sports and stuff. It was more Embry than Edward, but Edward didn't like Embry around me at all because of it."

"Oh, I see now. Edward was protective of you."

Bella snorts. "Yep, he sure was, and then some. He always warned the boys away."

Alice cuts in, "And, I bet you only had eyes for him. Typical. Teenage-boy stu-pi-di-ty."

Bella nods and gives a little huff at that, and continues. "Embry was always trying to get me to hang out, but I wasn't havin' it. He wasn't my person. Edward was—and Jasper, too. Edward knew I didn't want to be around the dude. And to see me walk in that diner with Embry and being drunk…" She snorts. "…well, let me just say things got unpleasant."

"I'll bet they did. But what about that kiss, Bella. How'd that go down?"

They bump along the dirt road passing Max's home, and arrive at Bella's house next door and come to a stop along its side on the graveled driveway. Putting the gear into park, both of them just sit there, looking at the lake under the moon light. The lights reflecting off its surface are almost hypnotic.

After a minute, Alice looks over at Bella. "You don't have to share that with me. I'm being sort of a hypocrite, aren't I? Not telling my own story."

Bella runs her fingers through her wind-blown hair and puffs out a breath. She turns sideways and hitches her right leg up onto the truck's bench seat. "No, it's fine, Alice. It actually feels really good to talk about it again. It's been a long time, you know?"

Alice nods. "I do know, hun."

"I guess I got mad…'cause I was drunk. Edward was trying to steer me to his table, away from Embry. I just sort of snapped. I asked him what his deal was, and he said nothing. I was tired of holding back my feelings, so when we got to his table—where Jasper was laughing at me—I tugged on the back of Edward's shirt, and he turned around…and then I planted my very first kiss ever on his shocked lips. It wasn't pretty."

"Oh, my God! What'd he do?"

"What'd he do?" She shakes her head a little. "Nothin', that's what. I mean, it was sloppy—a half-on half-off kiss—and I was drunk. So, he just grabbed my shoulders and sat me down next to Jasper, who wasn't laughing anymore. And then, he called my father."

"Oh, Lord!"

"I know. I was mortified. The next day was my nineteenth birthday, and when Edward arrived late and told us all he was heading out right then for the airport because he'd just accepted this big, fancy job in L.A. at that Sun Devil Studio's place, I seriously thought it was because of that stupid kiss."

Alice sighs out, "Wow."

"Yeah, wow."

"Bella, you must know now that he didn't leave because of that kiss."

"It was part of it, that's what I know. Obviously, the party was ruined." Bella turns back around in her seat and opens her door, getting out. She asks Alice, "Speaking of whiskey, you want a night cap?"

"Sure."

Alice grabs the to-go boxes and gets out of the truck, walking around to where Bella waits. They move around the side of Bella's house and around to the front porch.

Both women stop dead in their tracks.

"Um…what's that?" Alice's voice sounds mighty intrigued.

Bella just blinks, one hand going straight to her bare clavicle. Her mind is running amuck.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"It's my old necklace." Bella holds her breath then blows it out. She blinks again.

"Bella?"

"Um…Edward…he um, gave it to me for my sweet sixteen. I chunked it in the lake the night he left."

Alice looks from the necklace dangling from Bella's front door knob to Bella's stunned face, and back again. Then she says, "I think we're gonna need more than one nightcap."

**~*GF*~**

"You've got to be shittin' me, dude!"

"Does this look like the face of a shitter?" Edward wobbles on top of his bar stool as he points to himself, trying to get as straight-faced as possible while staring back at Jasper. He's had four beers and one large-ass shot of Crown, so it's a bit of a challenge right now.

Jacob walks over from behind the bar he's been wiping down. He's grinning, his white teeth flashing as he says, "You fucker, you did not seriously piss all over the mixer board!"

"Forty-eight channel Midas Legend 3000."

Both Jacob's and Jasper's eyebrows shoot straight up at that.

Edward looks back and forth between them. Finally, he cracks up. "You should see you two's faces."

Jasper shoves his liar-of-a-friend, and Jacob pops his bar towel at Edward's chest, connecting with a harsh snap right at Edward's pec.

Edward's hand lifts automatically to rub the sting away. Straightening up, he grabs his almost-empty beer and raises it to his smiling lips, his eyes squinting as he drains the bottle. He sort of slams it down on the bar top, loudly.

"Hey, watch the wood!" Jacob's warning has absolutely no effect, except to stir up pubescent imaginings.

"He said wood." It's Jasper.

All three of them crack up this time around.

"Seriously, though, man," Jasper pauses to take a sip of his own beer, then continues, "what's your next step? What're you goin' to do?"

Edward takes a deep breath in and blows it out, scrubbing his face. "Well, my attorney in L.A. is pretty much on top of it. She's a shark in a white pant suit—a real looker. Senna Alistair's her name. I got a rec to hire her from someone in the biz. She'll try her damnedest to keep things out of court, which is a huge relief for me, but we are definitely filing suit. She's got everything she needs to proceed, and she's started drafting the petition already. I may not even need to go back there. Our aim is for Felix and his partners to settle."

"Holy fuck, man!" The sympathy in Jacob's voice is heavy. "I do not envy you."

Jasper's just nodding. He cracks a sideways grin and fakes a teary eye, saying, "To think, our little Eddie's all grown up and fighting with the big wigs." He dodges Edward's fist.

The front door opens behind them, the bell chiming out a newcomer's arrival. Correction, two newcomers.

Jacob flips his bar towel onto his left shoulder and calls out. "Sorry, we're closin' down."

"Naw, nu-uh. I don't want anything. I just didn't recognize that vehicle outside and thought I'd have a look-see."

At the sound of that voice, the hairs raise on Edward's arms. He looks back over his shoulder and regrets it immediately.

Embry Young's standing there with a very scantily clad Tia Riley hangin' on his arm.

He wonders if she's become a prostitute, she's so decked out.

"Hello, Cullen. Finally came back with your tail between your legs, I hear." Embry's meaty hand moves to his hip, right near his gun.

It's a bit of an effort for Edward, because laughing out loud right now—at an officer still in uniform—would probably not be a wise decision, what with the drinks he's consumed. It's real difficult, 'cause Embry looks like a tool…and, he's got high-waters.

"Edward Cullen!" It's a squeal, and it's coming from Tia. She unplasters herself from Embry's arm and titters on neon-green, five-inch heels over toward Edward.

Jasper gives a quiet hoot, whispering to Edward, whose eyes are wide as saucers. "Oh, man. Here we go…"

It's a bark coming out of Embry's mouth. "Tia, get the fuck back here, now!"

She stops immediately, her shimmery, pastel-pink smile falling away at the sound of Embry's command. She looks a little embarrassed, but she turns around, looks back once over her shoulder at Edward, winking, then she saunters slow-like back to Embry's side.

Embry is furious.

"That your black Bronco, Cullen?"

Edward snorts then straightens real quick. "Yep." He doesn't want any trouble. He knows without a doubt that's exactly what Embry's lookin' to cause. "Just got her today."

Embry stares.

Edward stares right back. He almost expects Embry to spit.

"I notice you ain't got no plates."

"It's new."

"Oh, man." Jasper, again, under his breath.

"Embry, what the fuck are you doin'?" Jacob's voice is almost scolding. He comes out from behind the bar. "You gonna start shit up again. Why don't you just leave the way you came? Go back to Lux, man."

Embry starts to talk, but Angela's appearance from the back kitchen doors stop him.

"…baby, and then we can go home and fu—"

Angela stops mid-stride and mid-sentence, too. Her still-bespectacled eyes take in the scene she's entered into, unaware. Her hands immediately go to her hips. First, she says to Tia, "Hey, T." Then her eyes pin on Embry. "Embry Young. Your mama still let you stay out this late?"

At that, the two of them—Edward and Jasper—turn around and try not to snicker. Jacob moves next to his wife, his strong hand sliding across her lower back to grip firmly onto her hip bone.

Angela continues. "Did she tell you to come by here, because I wasn't expecting you? Those pies aren't due to the orphanage raffle for another two whole days."

Embry just swallows. He still lives with his mama—not that there's anything wrong with that. But everyone around Adam's Ale and Lux knows that Embry's mama has got him by his ear for life.

Tia looks down to the flooring and hides her smile.

"Maybe I should call her." It's pointedly said. Angela knows exactly what she's doing. She and Embry's mom sponsor the orphanage's bi-monthly bake raffles. They've been doin' it for years.

"No, no. We'll just get on our way." With that said, Embry grips onto Tia's wrist and starts backing to the door. He looks at Edward, who's now watching from over his shoulder again, and says, "You know, Bella's been needin' some watching after, and I've been offerin' my time. Just sayin' so's you know, Cullen. I am around."

Edward says nothing. He does feel his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He smothers his grin.

Angela wraps her thin arms around her husband's waist. She says to Embry, "Make sure you don't trip on your way out, Embry Young. Ya' hear? And, say hello to your mama. Bye, T." She waves.

Tia gives a little wave back with her fingers. Her long-as-hell painted nails then dig into Embry's forearm as they leave. She starts chewing him out as soon as the door shuts closed.

No one says a word.

A red-and-green neon beer sign buzzes loud from behind the bar.

They all crack up.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Angela! When did you start crackin' heads?" Edward says this while scratching at the back of his neck, shaking his head back and forth in disbelief.

Angie just smiles and winks back then turns to peck a kiss to her smirking husband's neck.

Jasper slaps Edward on his back and says, "Welp, I think it's time to close this rodeo down. I'm heading home. You all right?"

Edward nods. "Yeah, I'm fine…just as long as Embry doesn't follow me home. He's still such a bastard."

"True that. I'll catch'a later, man."

"Later."

Jasper heads out, grabbing a copy of the chronicle on his way out the front door.

Jacob tells Angela to go on out to their car and wait, and then he turns back to Edward, who's now got his phone out, and he's staring at the lit screen and smiling sideways. Jacob goes and sits on the stool Jasper just vacated and tosses his bar towel down onto the counter, saying, "Hey, man. Just so you know, Embry thinks he's the shit around here, especially where Bella's concerned…so…I'd watch out for that. Dude obviously still hates your guts, and seein' you and Bella in that booth together earlier tells me that there's gonna be trouble."

Edward snorts. "Fucker needs a good kick in his ass."

"Yeah, I'd love to see Bella do it, too, as much as she's put up with his bullshit."

Edward flips his phone shut and stands to leave. His next words are said with conviction. "Embry said he's around. Well, so am I."

Jacob smiles big at that. "Glad you're back, man. Seriously."

"Me, too. Later."

Walking out the front doors, Edward heads to his newly purchased Bronco, opens the slightly dented door and hops up into the driver's seat. He powers on his cell and for the second time, reads the message he'd been sent. His smile is huge.

_**You some kind of magic-man? Making a thing reappear like that? ~B**_

He looks up and out his front windshield, then back down again as he replies.

_**I'll be your magic-man, baby. Wait, who is this? ~E **_

_**Edward! ~B**_

_**Bella. ~E**_

_**Don't mess with an emotional drunk woman, Edward. You'll lose every time. ~B**_

_**You gonna get sappy on me, Swan? Is this going to turn into some awesome inebriated sexting? 'Cause if it is, I should warn you, I get a dirty mouth after I've had a few. ~E**_

It's a couple of minutes before she replies, which makes Edward's grin widen.

_**What have you done with my old friend 'Edward'? ~B**_

_**He's long gone. I'm the new and improved version…with a dirty mouth. ~E**_

_**Moving along now! Edward…seriously…thank you. ~B**_

Edward's chin dips to his chest.

_**You're welcome, Bella. Didn't know you'd even lost it. ~E **_

_**How would you have known? ~B**_

_**Ouch. ~E**_

_***burp* ~B**_

_***points and laughs* ~E**_

_**Okay, I need to confess something. ~B**_

_**This should be good. ~E**_

_**I didn't lose it. ~B**_

_***narrows eyes* Did it run away? ~E **_

_**Ha ha, no. I threw it into the lake that night you left. ~B**_

_**And I came back and found it. ~E**_

_**You came back and found it. ~B**_

_**Bella… ~E**_

_**Edward… ~B**_

_**Don't lose my heart again. ~E**_

_**Never. ~B**_

With that last message received, Edward shuts his phone off, tossing it into the floor console, and then his engine is roaring to life. He's thinkin' he should get to bed soon 'cause he's got an early morning ahead.

Groveling.

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**a/n …special shout-out to ****SunflowerFran**** for rec'n my little story on facebook… *hugs* …if anyone else rec'd—or saw a rec—i would love to know who and where…now, please let me have it…review, review, review…please, review…love love…*twirls*…**

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**song credit: **_**Wild Horses**_** by The Rolling Stones**

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**beta comments****:**

**favorite jcat5507 moment: "no. no semicolons in dialogue!"**

**imagined reaction to jcat5507 moment: *cries* "i didn't know!" *runs away***

**real-time reaction to jcat5507 moment: *cracked up laughing***

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**xxx jess**

**p.s. in case you missed out...i have posted a few photos regarding Go Fish over at my blog:_ rubyblue9696 dot wordpress dot com_**


	5. Blinkin'

_**Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events.**_

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_**beta'd by jcat5507**_

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 05 – Blinkin'**

Waking to a most unladylike snort, Bella's head lifts with a start—her long, brown hair one crazy mass in front of her still-closed eyes. "Oh, fuuuck." It's croaked out, her head is pounding. "Ow." She grimaces and hides her head underneath her pillow as she rolls to her back on top of her bed.

That's when she hears it.

A most god-awful sound.

Her arms press the soft pillow tight against each ear, trying to block it out.

Everything goes silent.

She feels her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth, thick as a rug. Dry, too.

Then she hears it again and bolts upright, her pillow falling down to her lap over her extremely rumpled covers. She puffs, blowing her hair out of her eyes and attempts to crack them open, only to shut them closed again, real quick. Everything is so bright.

Reaching out blindly, she feels for and then grabs her too-large, green-and-blue plaid man-robe draped at the end of her bed, and manages to slip it on. It's a messy job when it's completed. A tight tug at the ties around her small waist hold it secure and in place…mostly.

The harsh noise sounds loud again, with a roar, and keeps on going.

Her eyes finally pop open. She curses and stands—obviously too quickly—and her hands go up, immediately, to grip her aching head. "Oh, Jesus!" Her head spins a little, and her hands fly out for balance.

Something wizzes by her window.

Bella freezes.

It wizzes by again and she screams. "Arrrg!" Then she sees dust and grass flying. "What in hell?" She tiptoes to the wall by her window, like she's hiding and trying to be extra quiet at the same time. It's stupid, she knows—like anyone can actually hear her—but it's an automated response.

Slightly crouched, she peers through her long, sheer curtain. It wizzes by again, and her mouth drops open. "No." It's said in quiet disbelief.

Not a second passes before Bella's rushing and putting on her fuzzy, black house shoes. Next thing, she's marching through her bedroom door and down her painted-yellow hall, right through her kitchen and out the back screened door.

She stops at the edge of her small wood deck and watches with fisted hands resting at the upper curve of each hip. Her still-pounding head cranes to follow what she sees wiz by in front of her and continue down across her lawn.

Apparently, she's become invisible.

Stomping her foot, she yells out, "Edward Mason Cullen! You stop that thing, right now!"

He just keeps on, not hearing her words. He's got his back to her as he stands on that loud-ass lawn mower—like some ridiculous pro—not havin' a care in the world.

Bella's thinking she's got a care. A few, in fact.

She's hung over.

It's, like, seven thirty in the morning, or something.

And, Edward Cullen is doing her chore.

She glares.

A laugh sounds, light and amused, to her right, and Bella's eyes leave the back of Edward's receding form to latch onto Alice, who's sitting on the front porch stairs of her cabin, right under a fading, painted sign which reads _Four-Nerve Daisy_. She is grinning behind her mug of coffee at Bella. Lowering her mug, she gives a wink and motions back over her shoulder to where Edward has now disappeared around the curve of the other four cabins' backyards which face the dirt road.

She calls over. "Seems mighty interesting around here this morning, huh, Bella?" She sips from her mug again and then picks at the hem of her white sundress.

Bella cocks a hip to the side, the flap of her robe lifting lightly at the small breeze that drifts up from the lake's early morning water. "He wake you up with that noise?"

Alice shrugs, not answering, because she can hear Edward coming back around, right toward the two of them.

Bella's eyes flash back over to where he's now reappeared.

His eyes are trained right on her. He's grinning. It's full blown, like he's so pleased with himself, too.

Bella watches him get closer and closer, until he comes to a stop right in front of her, shit flying around and engine still runnin'.

He reaches for the hem of his sweat-stained T-shirt, lifting it up to wipe the wetness from his face and neck.

Bella's eyes go straight to his abs.

She gapes then.

Because, never…never in her entire twenty-seven-year life has she been so affected by a man's stomach before. She almost gasps out loud, but she manages to stop the sound from emerging. Blinking repeatedly, Bella looks away and back over at a now wide-eyed Alice, who looks just as stunned at the display of tight, lean, male muscle.

Alice sets her cup down next to her hip. Then she holds both dainty hands up with all of her fingers spread wide, mouthing the word _ten_.

Bella looks away from her guest, too, not wanting to laugh right now.

With a failed attempt at glaring, she says to Edward, "What do you think you are doing?"

It's loud when Edward responds. "Huh?"

Bella raises her voice over the sound of the lawn mower. "I said, what do you think you are doing?"

"What?"

"Edward!" She stomps that foot again. She's getting peeved real quick.

Just then, the breeze blows a bit more strongly, and Edward's crazy too-long hair flies around his head. His eyes flash down to Bella's legs, now exposed at the calves from the wind. He looks back up, grinning again—eyes wide and wicked—and then he mouths out an _I can't hear you_ while pointing to his large, red ear guards. He grins as he watches Bella react.

She whines out at him, exasperated, "Edward, stop messin' around! I don't have the energy for it." Her fingers rub at her pounding temples.

At her obvious discomfort, Edward takes pity on Bella, powering down the motor and removing the over-the-ear sound barriers. He teases, "You look like shit this morning, Bella." He laughs. "Must 'a really got plastered, huh? Do any drunk texting last night?" His green eyes flicker down to her chest and back up. He knows she's naked under that loose robe.

His teasing catches her off guard, and for a brief moment, she tries to remember all of their text conversation from the previous night. It's confident when she says back, "Nope. Not the kind you're talking about. And it's your unexpected wake-up call what's lent to my shit-looking factor." Her fingers rake back through her messy long hair and then fall limp down at her sides. "Why are you here?"

"I think that's obvious, B."

She rolls her eyes as she stresses each next word. "Okay. Just who…asked you…to do…this?"

"No one." He's grinning wide at Bella, dimples in full effect.

Her body sort of convulses when she sees them. Attempting to hide her body's reaction to him, she motions over to her right. "You woke up my guest."

"Alice was up. She gave me the go-ahead."

Bella's eyes whip over to where said guest still sits, smiling now as she drinks from her coffee mug. Alice gives a little wave to Bella, but still remains silent. It's obvious that she's enjoying every minute of this morning and its interactions.

"So did Max."

Edward's just read her mind.

Doing a one-eighty, Bella looks over at Max's house next to hers. She grumbles to herself, "…better stay hidin'…" She can see a faded curtain move.

Eyes back on Edward, Bella's about to say more, but her words get stuck in her dry throat as she watches Edward—who's now stepped down off of that standing lawn mower, shaking grass and dust from his hair and ratty blue-jeans. She holds up a finger, silently ordering Edward to wait right there—but he doesn't even see—and then she whirls around and goes back in her house through her back screen door to get herself a glass of cold water.

Her hands fly up into the air, irritated.

Reaching the kitchen sink, she grabs her empty glass from last night and fills it all the way up to its rim. She gulps as she drinks the whole damn thing down without even stopping for air.

Relieved, her eyes close as she sags against her kitchen counter, murmuring, "…so good…" and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She holds her hands under the still-running water and lowers down to splash it up onto her face.

Suddenly, the screen door slams shut behind her, and Bella shoots straight up and turns around. Water drips down her chin and neck to her now-partially-exposed upper chest, but she's unaware, because Edward's just come inside her house.

He's really close, too.

"You got some…right there." He points but not really.

"Oh, and now you just come inside?"

"You really want me to answer that, B?"

She tries not to snort and laugh. "My, God! You're just as bad as Jas—"

His next actions cut off her words as his finger lifts to smooth a strand of her long, slightly wet hair away from where it's currently sticking across the length of her delicate jaw and down onto her neck.

Bella shivers—convincing herself it's because it kind of tickles—and mentally forces her nipples to stand down. His gesture did not go unnoticed by either of them. She goes on high alert, because stuff might be happening…down there…and it's more than a little distracting.

Swallowing hard, she moves his hand aside. "Edward, seriously…you can't just come over like this and do whatever you want…whenever you want." The whenever is stressed. "I have timing and plans and lists…and even more on top of those, so…so…so…"

He takes a half-step closer.

"…so, just…um…just…you have to…"

One more half-step forward, and Edward's right up in her space, again.

It seems to be yet another developing habit.

She blink-blink-blinks.

She can't speak at all now, instinctually pressing back into the L-corner of her kitchen counter. She's trying to keep her eyes up on his face, too, but he's dirty and sweaty, and her eyes can't help but travel down the long length of him.

He is so trim…and tall…and all full grown.

She swallows again and licks across her lower lip.

One more half-step forward, and Edward has got her right where he wants her.

Her eyes fly up to zip back and forth between his own intense eyes, which are doing the same thing to hers.

"Bella…" He pauses, his large, dirt-smudged, grass-specked hands reaching forward to cage her into that corner. Taking a deep breath in, he lets it out, and then he glances down to where her man-robe has gapped open a bit at her chest, appreciating what he sees there. Eyes back up, he looks straight into her pretty browns, and then he says in a whisper, "Can I please…pretty please…mow your lawn?"

Her eyes are glued to his perfect lips.

She licks hers again.

She wonders how someone can actually be this appealing. He's so overwhelmingly sexy right now it's almost disgusting.

It's entirely unfair.

No, wait. What's unfair in Bella's mind is her reaction. It's what's disgusting, too.

So, so dis-gust-ing.

Her eyes flutter a bit but stay locked on Edward's lips when she gives her dazed, one-worded answer. "Oo-kay."

Grinning, Edward stays put, not moving away just yet. He raises one hand from where it's caged her in and lets the first two fingers trace down an open lapel of her loose robe, until they stop right at the hint of where he can see the beginning of her breast's swell. His eyes flash back up to her semi-stunned ones as he fingers the tiny, delicate heart hanging right there.

"This looks really nice."

Swallowing deep, she says, "Yeah…um, uh…yeah…" Her breath rushes out.

He shifts on his feet and glances down and back up again. "You always go outside dressed this way?"

Her chest does this one weird hyperventilate-thingy, then she says, "Oh, um…no." She doesn't know what to do with her hands.

"Good."

His fingers move back up to just barely touch the exposed soft, white skin at the base of her neck. Green eyes move back up to hers. He says quietly, "I wouldn't want any undesirable getting a look at what I'm seeing right now." His eyes move back down.

Bella's thinking she might just faint. Or, possibly she'll have a conniption fit.

Never once has she seen him look at her this way.

He may have completely flustered her, but Bella knows exactly what to do with her hands now. Well, one of them, anyway.

She pokes him.

Right in his stomach.

Edward's breath whooshes out as he scoots back a bit. He's looking at her like "what the fuck".

She pokes him again, several times.

Now he's trying to squirm away, 'cause Bella's now digging the tips of her fingers into his upper left—highly sensitive—ribs. "Fucking hell, Swan…" he man-screeches, swatting her away, "…that's not right! That shit's not right!" Now he's five feet away and pointing. "You are cruel, you know that?"

"Ha, you are one to talk, Edward Cullen." It's scoffed out. She straightens up, gripping the lapels of her robe tight and pulling them closed under her neck.

She's remembering when someone left here, eight years ago.

She's remembering when she tried to give said person that wholly-failure of a kiss.

She's also remembering those months and years after he left, too, trying to understand why.

Now she's fuming.

"I mean, what'd you expect? You're gone…for years. Then, you come over, way too early and unexpected at that, and all 'willy-nilly'. Bet you think you can charm your way right on through." Bella stops, trying to gain her thoughts back. She sees Charlie's last message on the small black board hanging on the wall in the kitchen. Then she says, determined, "Well, guess what, Edward Cullen. I have got one thing to say to you. I am the boss around here. Not you."

Edward's eyes rake up and down her as he sort of paces around. He still knows she's naked under that damn robe, and now she's got him all worked up.

He also knows that there is no doubt about it. Bella is more of a man than he ever was. He means that as a compliment.

She's thumbing at her chest as she's said the last part, and Edward stops his small pacing. He rubs his hand across his mouth. He looks at her again. He understands and whispers, "I know you are."

Oh.

Bella is, again, shocked.

She blink-blink-blinks some more.

She doesn't know what to do.

"Well…" she fidgets, gripping her robe a bit more tightly, and then she continues, "…um, okay…just ask ahead next time, okay? If you like, the grass needs cuttin' every other week, most months. We…we like it long and grown for a bit before it gets chopped down. The birds…"

Edward's shoulders relax now, his eyes so sincere. "I know you do…Bella. I remember, too. Next time I come I'll get the mowin' on to your schedule, all right? But just know, this time around there'll be no pussy-footin' about it. Grass needed cuttin'. You said it yourself." He's looking right at her again. "And I am here to do it. I know you wouldn't have let me, otherwise. You're just like Charlie."

Bella doesn't know what to do with that exactly.

She is stubborn at times. Especially when she's trying to do things right and work hard.

These cabins have been a huge, huge chore…but a chore that she's begun to cherish.

She knows she's still adjusting to Edward being back and to her father's death. She realizes then that if Edward is true to his words, wanting to help her out, then what more could she ask for? He's plopped back into her life.

It's help, too.

It's help from her old friend.

It's help from her old friend, Edward Cullen, and she knows she's askin' for trouble.

Things are different now between them.

She kind of bows over a bit, looking at her black, fuzzy, slipper-covered feet. Then she looks up at him and gins. "You're hired. Fifteen bucks an hour."

Edward just stands there, still.

Then he's the one blink-blink-blinking.

He smiles and says, "Deal."

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**a/n …hey peeps...just fyi: i have posted pix/images for Go Fish over on my blog...but you gotta go there to see-ee...*sing-songs*...and, review, review, review…please, review…love love…*twirls*… **

**shout outs: love love to jcat5507 for her AWESOME BETA SKILLZ-SKILLZ-SKILLZ (echoed) and attempted rec'n (*girl tackles and bounces*), SunflowerFran for her encouragement and support and her fb rec and 'favorite author' add (*fist pump*), Cappy for her rec at TLS (*jumps up and down*), Cappricorn Seventyfive at TLS (fb) (*skips around happy*), Missus_T for her AWESOME re-tweet (*tackles with love*)...and anyone else who rec'd my little story...love love love...**

**xxx jess**


	6. Hosed

_**Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events.**_

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_**fyi: i've posted images/pix over on my blog, peeps - ****rubyblue9696 dot wordpress dot com**** (you know what to do)**_

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_*blink-blink-blink* **~beta'd******** by** jcat5507~ *blink-blink-blink*_

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 06 – Hosed**

"Fuck me." He's never sweat this much in his entire life. Pulling at the long weeds surrounding cabin number two—the _Mealy Blue Sage_—he tightens his fists and yanks a good-sized chunk from the ground and tosses it over on to the still-growing pile to his left.

He'd already weeded numbers five, four and three, having started with number five first—the _Blackfoot Daisy,_ per one smug Bella Swan's direction—due to its occupants' arrival just moments ago. She didn't want his workin' bothering their settling in.

Cabins four and three—the _Velvetleaf Senna_ and the _Pink Evening Primrose_—had been the easiest so far, being the smallest among the five cabins.

He's got his work cut out for him, to be sure, though.

He's workin' for Bella…and she's a Swan.

He knows it's going to be hard.

When she'd practically fallen right into his plan, and she'd said she'd hire him, and pay a wage—of which he didn't need a single dime—Edward had seen the very moment that it had happened. It'd been written all over her beautiful, smudged and mussed-up, hung-over face.

She's going to 'boss' him real good and enjoy doin' it, too.

It took her all of three minutes to march into her small office—off left from her kitchen—and write up a to-do list for Edward. She'd smacked it right against his upper chest and tucked it into the opening of his sweaty, white V-neck T-shirt. She'd pulled a chest hair doin' it, too.

Then she'd proceeded to lay down the law—still holding that distractingly loose robe of hers closed—setting hours of work and lunch-time permissions, and sayin' she's not an ogre-of-a-boss, but that just because they are friends, there'd be no talkin' advantage. She'd stressed, like a warning to a toddler, that she's got a business to run, and lots of work to go along with it.

Knowing her strong work ethic, he'd, no doubt, end up groveling to take a rest.

He grins, highly looking forward to it.

Standing straight, he wipes the sweat at each temple with his shoulders in turn as he looks out and sees a form on the lake water. He raises his hand and waves. "Hey, man."

Jasper yells back, "Pond," laughing as he's tugging at the rope trailing behind his small row boat that he is using to help haul two lost canoes back to his shop. "Don't fuck up!"

Edward snorts, bending to find a rock and then bringing his arm way back to launch that rock high into the air, sending it flying right at his friend's location. It misses by a good three feet. He reaches for another when he hears a giggle to his left.

"So, you're working for Bella now, I hear."

Edward stops mid-reach, his head turning in Alice's direction. She's smirking and standing at the railing running in two separated parts across the length of the fifteen foot porch of her cabin. Large, round sunglasses cover her eyes now, but he gets a clear sense that's she's on to him. He stands, answering and wiping his dirty hands off on the back pockets of his ratty blue jeans. "Yep. That I am."

Alice hikes her large tote bag more secure to her bare shoulder, and straightens the top of her tube shirt. Her ballet-flat covered feet step down one step from her porch, and then she says, pointedly, one hand at her slim-fit, designer-jean-covered hip. "I like you, Edward. I really like Bella, too, especially after our night last night. She's stunned, you know, now that you're back. And that move with that necklace…" She pauses, blowing out a light whistle through her lip-glossed lips, taking in his suddenly intent expression. "I hope you have a good plan, 'cause you might just need it."

Processing the smaller woman's words, Edward looks up, squinting at the noon-day sun and thinking. He looks back at Alice. "I've got my logic and sense about it."

The small laugh Alice gives sounds a bit dubious. "This should be mighty interesting." Her dark eyes move around his tall, lanky form, accessing. She nods. "I'm sure you'll get 'er done."

"Plannin' on it." It's said matter-of-fact. He's assessing Alice, too.

They continue to watch each other.

Shifting her weight to her right hip, Alice speaks up. "So, you think—"

"Hey there, Miss Alice." It's Jasper interrupting, as he's callin' out again.

Alice and Edward both turn to see Jasper sitting and watching the both of them from his small boat.

Jasper waves and tips the bill of his cap. The sun's reflection on the lake water radiates all around him.

Alice just ignores him, turning away with a small, seemingly annoyed huff and starts heading toward her white Volkswagen. She calls back over her shoulder to Edward, "You tell Bella I will see her later on, all right? I'm headin' to Lux for some shopping. I'm going to try my hand at cooking some barbeque ribs tonight or tomorrow, compliments of Bella's dad's recipe. She drunk-gave it to me."

Scratching at the back of his sweaty head, Edward snorts out a laugh, wondering what's up with Alice as he answers. "I'll let her know. And, just so you know, Charlie made the best ribs 'round. Don't be lettin' that recipe get out. I can help you out if you can hold off on barbequin' 'til tomorrow."

She doesn't answer—except for the smirk she gives him from over her freckled shoulder.

Edward's eyebrows shoot up. He's pretty sure he's never met anyone quite like Alice.

He looks back out at Jasper, and he can see that Jasper's watching Alice, most likely stunned that the woman's completely ignored his friendly greeting.

Both of Jasper's hands lift up into the air, palms up, like he's saying 'what the fuck'. He shrugs as he looks at Edward.

Edward shakes his head in the universal 'I don't know' and shrugs back his shared confusion.

One last look at the back of Alice's now-departing vehicle, Jasper shakes his own head then, and starts rowing again, towing those two loose canoes back on down the way to his place at the North-end of the lake.

Edward watches his friend for a moment. He feels more sweat drip down his forehead and realizes that he's extremely thirsty.

Suddenly, a large pint of something amber-colored—and very cold—appears in front of his chest. "Here, boy." A wrinkled, old hand jostles the large glass a bit, making the condensation drip. "Quick now, before she comes around."

Edward's surprised, green eyes follow the length of a khaki-covered arm all the way to the face of its owner. His grin spreads wide as he warns in answer. "Look here, old man. You call me boy again and I may have to prove different."

Max's face beams. "Always were a cocky son-of-a-bitch. Bless that Esme for it." Max shoves the amber brew into Edward's stomach as he glances, careful-like, over toward Bella's office window, a good forty feet or so away. "Hurry on, now. Take it and drink it down. And next time, you better think before you show up without a cooler of your own or something."

Grabbing the pint of cold brew, Edward lifts it up and drinks it down in four huge gulps, not wasting one single drop. He tries to hand the now-empty pint glass back to Max, who's not removed his eyes from that window. Edward whispers, playing, "Mission accomplished, Agent Marks—over and out."

The older man's eyes switch back to latch on to Edward. He glares as he says, "Looky here, boy. Don't mess with this bull, or you'll get the horns."

"Don't I know it."

"I can still whip your behind red and take you at arm-wrestle. Better yet, I should tie you to a chair and get out my pliers for use during interrogation. Have you cryin' for your mama, no time at all."

"Interrogation? Why the need for extremes, Max?"

"Well, for no other reason than to hear you explain why it took you damn near two full weeks to come by and say 'hey'. I may have given the go-ahead on cutting all this damn grass down, boy, but you've far from buttered me up."

Max's eyes are as serious as serious can get.

He doesn't waiver.

Edward crackin' up does the trick, and Max cackles and grins. Then Edward reaches out to grip the older man's hand, and they shake whole-heartedly and smile fondly at each other. "It's really good to see you, Max."

"It's good that you're back, my boy."

"I was real sorry to hear about Charlie passin'."

The older man's eyebrows lift as he sighs out his obvious grief, releasing Edward's hand. "Ah, me. Loss is never an easy thing to bear. Charles Swan was a very good young friend and neighbor." Max turns to look around at the freshly cut grass and pulled weeds. "What's important is how we each live…more importantly, how we love." He looks back at Edward and nods. "Charlie had done both, and well. His life was damned-near perfect. I've lived off and on at this lake going on fifty years, now. Residin' next to him for the past twenty-seven of those years proved it. His father, Ephraim—God bless his resting soul—was the same damn way, if not more so, you know. Always movin' and praisin' and huggin', the old fart. Damned lucky to have been an Agent at all."

Edward knows the name well, but he never met Ephraim Swan, Bella's grandfather. Ephraim had built and run _Go Fish Cabins_, and what is now Bella's house, during his retirement after he'd left the service. Edward also knows that Max Marks and Ephraim Swan used to work together as part of some covert operation for the government. It's all very hush-hush around here. No one had ever talked on it, if anyone even knew anything about it at all.

Ephraim Swan had died just a few years before Carlisle and Esme had moved here from California, when Edward was eight. He'd met Bella pretty straight off, living just down the way on the same side of Mud Cat Lake. She'd been five, and she and Jasper—who was eight, same as him at the time—had accepted Edward into their circle, no questions asked, except for Edward's initiation.

He'd had to sample Bella's fresh-made mud pie.

One look at her brown eyes, and he'd taken the bait and ate that damn mud pie…and thrown it right back up after.

Edward squints and hands the empty pint glass back to Max, successful this time around. He glances at Bella's office window quickly and turns back to Max. "You remember when me, Bella and Jasper—we took that old holed-up hose of yours and tied it along the outer lip of your rain gutter? Told you it was rainin' and that we couldn't come clean out your garage that day." Edward grins and remembers just like it was yesterday.

Max hoots out, "That one was one of your more brilliant ones," as he smacks his free hand at his knee. "If I hadn't gone out my back door to check for open windows on my T-bird, I might have believed it for a longer spell." A breeze picks up then, and Max looks out to the water and then up into the far off sky. "Storm's gonna be blowin' through soon. Be here before the week's out, I'm thinkin'."

Edward looks out at the water, too, but all he can see is clear sun and cloud-filled sky. "Well, if it comes it will be good for the fish and the trees. Jasper and Carlisle's rain barrels, too." He looks back at Max and sees the old man smiling quietly. "What's got you thinkin', old man? You look miles away right now."

Max shakes his old head as he reaches back to retrieve his handkerchief. He blows his nose long and loud and then says, "It's nothing. Just rememberin' someone special—my beloved, Chelsea Rose." Playing if off, Max puts the soiled cloth back into his pocket, and then he eyeballs Edward. "You've been gone a spell now, boy." His arthritic finger waggles in the younger man's face. "Don't go thinking that nothin's changed around here, 'cause things have. All over."

With that, Max Marks turns to head back across the way toward his own house. Once he's walked about a quarter of the way, he turns around to point a shaky finger back at Edward. "She probably didn't put on that list of yours that she's got a load comin' in over in Lux tomorrow at the lumber yard. Shingles for the roofs." He tuts a few times as he turns to walk away again, only he is not through talking. "Be a real shame for a woman such as Bella to do all that heavy liftin' herself like she plans." When he reaches the tailgate of Bella's rusted old truck, he calls out one more time, "It's right next to Walleye County Sherriff's Station. I'd get there early, too, lest a certain unsavory gets there first."

Edward watches the old man's back as he's leaving, his ears perking up at that last part. A huge, wide grin spreads across his face.

He's thinking Bella Swan's long-time neighbor is a bit of a meddler, and Edward's mighty grateful for it. He's also thinking Bella Swan needs to see just who she's dealin' with here, 'cause he's Edward Mason Cullen, gonna-rock-your-world-employee supreme—including all things not on his list…and, liver and lover extraordinaire.

She will see.

His thoughts are running a mile a minute when he feels a large hand smack his back hard one time. Immediately, he doubles over and starts coughing. He's choked on his own air.

"Yo, dude. You need to beef up a little. I barely even tapped you."

Hearing that, Edward's head turns from where he's coughing at the fresh-cut grass. He sees a pair of—what is obviously—two male feet encased in a pair of florescent orange Tiddies Sandals™. His line of vision follows up some very muscular, albeit hairy, legs, past a pair of board shorts, and then on up and over a wife-beater covered chest, to land on the dimpled face of a very amused monster of a man.

"Dude, what were you grinnin' at? There's no one even around." The monster-man takes the last bite of his red apple and chews heartily as he waits for Edward to answer.

One last little cough and a big breath in, Edward stands back up and greets the man. "Edward Cullen. I work for Bella…I mean I work for _Go Fish Cabins_."

Huge-man just snorts and puts his hand out. "Emmett McCarthy. I'm here with my lady and partner for life. We're havin' a baby." Emmett looks around the grounds and out to the lake and back. Then he says, "You and me are gonna party."

Grabbing Emmett's hand for a shake, Edward answers through his grin. "Not much in the way of partyin' around Adam's Ale, I am afraid."

Emmett just grins wider, his dimples deepening more. "Naw, dude. I don't mean that kind of party. You'll see what I mean later. Right now, I need to get my lady settled."

Edward's wishing he could do the same with Bella.

As if on cue, the back screen door to Bella's lake house opens and then slams shut. Edward's eyes flash right over to find Bella's. She's looking right back at him, eyes narrowed, left hip jutting out wide. Blatantly, she holds up what appears to be an empty beer bottle. Then she bends and exaggeratedly places said empty beer bottle down into her recycle bin.

Edward's eyes widen minutely, and then narrow. Must be the beer bottle that formerly contain the brew he'd just innocently swallowed down.

The brew that Max Marks gave to him.

He knows she knows that he drank that blasted beer.

His eyes flick back behind her where Max stands smothering a very gleeful grin.

Old man's most definitely a meddler...of various sorts. He may have even lost a marble or two. And now Edward's wondering just whose team the old man's on exactly.

"Duuuude, you drank that beer, didn't you?"

Edward swallows. "Yep."

"She's gonna eat you alive."

"God, I hope so."

Emmett barks a loud guffaw at Edward's quiet, prayerful reply, but stops short when he sees his lady come out of that same screen door. She's quite a vision. Her long blonde hair and full curves would catch anyone's eye. The smocked dress she's wearing hides nothing from the imagination.

She stops right beside Bella and pops her bubble gum, staring out at the lake water and shielding her eyes.

"Rosie, honey. Come over here and meet Edward before someone finds their steak knife."

"Emmy, baby, help me. Please…" She flappin' her hands in Emmett's direction, arms held out straight, and he goes over to get her. He takes both of her hands and leads her over to Edward.

Bella follows behind, amused at the pair, even as she mouths to Edward a silent _I'll deal with you later_.

Edward's grin couldn't get much more wicked right now.

Bella has to look away.

"Baby…this here is Edward Cullen. He works around here at the cabins." Emmett looks away from his love, to Edward. "Edward Cullen, this is Rosalie Hale, six weeks pregnant with my baby, and she still can't get enough of me."

Rosalie's manicured hand swats at Emmett then, scolding. "Emmy, I told you not to say that to folks right off. They're going to think we are weird."

Edward laughs and reaches out for her hand. "It's no problem, ma'am, really. Weird fits right in around here."

Rosalie smiles at that, sayin', "My, my…aren't you sweet." She looks back over and says to Bella, "I see what you mean."

Edward's eyes flash to Bella, and he sees her turn ten different shades of red.

Bella's looking everywhere but at him as she pulls on her long—now washed and brushed—hair.

It's then that Edward notices her change of attire. Instead of that distracting plaid robe, she's now wearing white cut-off jean shorts and an embroidered black tank top, with no shoes.

His eyes zero in on her painted toes. They are black, and they match her shirt.

Edward can't help but gulp as he swallows and stares at them.

He's thinking _fuck that robe_ because Bella's toes are way more distracting...and cute.

They may be his new fetish.

When he finally is able to break away from staring, he looks back up at Bella and finds her eyes zeroed in on his chest and arms, and biting at her lower lip.

Nope, his new fetish now—if it could be called one—is Bella's eyes all over him.

"Eh, hem." Rosalie clears her throat. "Well, it's lovely to meet you both, but I need to rest for a bit now. Emmy, will you bring the car around to our cabin over at the end? It's got my powder bag, and I'm going to need it. I'll just walk over with Bella."

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks."

"Now, Emmett McCarthy, you dirty thing. I told you…those words are for the bedroom only." Rosalie's voice seems scolding, but when Edward and Bella see her sidle up and press flush against the side of her man and whisper quietly into his ear…well, the look alone on Emmett's face right after tells a story of a different color.

Emmett's eyes are glazed over.

His mouth is hangin' open, too.

Pulling away from his ear, Rosalie places a small peck of a kiss to her lover's cheek, and then she says, "Be quick, or I might change my mind."

With that, Emmett leaves to get the car without so much as another glance their way.

When Edward turns back, he finds Bella and Rosalie talkin' and walkin' away, toward cabin number five. Rosalie looks at Edward once and snickers a little bit. She says something to Bella, and then Bella snickers, too.

He can't help but wonder what they are talking about. Shaking it off, he returns to his work, pullin' weeds and sweatin'.

Cabin two is almost completed when Bella walks over some thirty minutes later. She stops right next to his bent-at-the-waist frame, her toes wiggling and spreading out wide to dig into the soft green grass. He's staring at them again when she speaks. "They seem like a nice couple. Bring some more life around here."

Edward tosses over the lump of weeds in his hand and stands to look at Bella. "Yeah, and weird, too. My kind of people."

Bella scoffs. "Not weird. Just them." Her pretty brown eyes zero in on him again as she crosses her arms under her breasts. "You must think you are somethin' else, huh?"

Edward can't help it. She's put them on display. He glances down, his eyes bounce back and forth a couple of times, and then he looks back up, smiling. "Uh, how's that?"

"Well, you're not here workin' half a day, and you got Max sneakin' my beer out to you. He was stealth, too."

He smiles. "That was a very good beer."

"Angela's."

"Ah."

"Yeah, so…I am on to you, mister. Be warned." She starts tapping one bare foot in the grass, which makes her boobs bounce a little.

His eyes go back down again to bounce back and forth. He looks back up and grins. "You're on to me?"

"Yep."

"You're on to me?"

"Yesss."

"Exactly how are you on me?"

She blinks.

He continues. "Because I don't feel it…I don't feel you…on me." He steps closer.

She steps back, warning, "Edward…"

"Bella." He steps forward again.

"Edward, don't."

His eyes widen. "Don't what?"

"Fuck, I don't know, but just don't!" She's trying not to shriek.

"Someone needs to wash your mouth out."

Bella gapes.

Next moment has Edward reaching and grabbing on to a hose. Half-second later, and he's releasing the closure, and then water is flying and spraying out at both of them, but mostly on Bella. Her hands fly up to shield herself, which proves utterly futile and useless.

Suddenly the water stops. Edward's dammed the flow with his thumb. He says, "Wet enough—I mean, clean enough for ya?"

Bella stares. Her hair and clothes are dripping wet. "No." Her answer is wholly sarcastic.

His eyes widen again as he releases his thumb, spraying a direct hit of water right at Bella's forehead.

She screams and steps back, wiping the water from her face.

Edward dams the water again. "How 'bout now?" His eyebrows waggle at her.

She fumes like a soggy, angry cat. "Not nearly, buster."

Water sprays again, this time into her chest, and Bella turns to get away, only to stumble and then tumble, and Edward's arms are now wrapped around her, and they are rolling down the small, grassy hill. They come to a stop with Bella on top, both sopping wet and now covered in smudges of dirt and grass and leaves. They each try to catch their own breath.

That's when Bella feels it.

Edward's jean-clad thigh is tangled between her own.

She freezes, going on high alert. Then she smacks his chest. "Look what you've done, Edward. Are you happy now?"

Edward just busts out laughing.

She repeats, smacking his chest again. "Are you happy?"

He's wheezing when he says, "Y-yes, I am happy. I've got you _all over_ me."

Rolling her eyes, she tries to push up and off, but his arms keep her from leaving, so she has no choice but to squirm.

That's when Edward groans and rolls, bringing Bella Swan underneath him.

She's still as stone now.

He's breathin' hard and staring at her as she bites her lower lip again. His head swims and then lowers minutely.

Bella gasps, "What the fuck, Edward? Are you even thinking?" She would bolt away right now if she could.

Edward blinks and shakes his head a little. His eyes move up to hers. "Thinking? Oh, I'm thinking all right. I'm remembering a kiss."

Her mouth forms a silent 'o'.

"I'm thinking what a damn fool I was back then, leaving in the first place at all."

"Edward…"

"I'm not going to lie, Bella. If there's one thing I aim to change, it's that goddamn, fucking kiss."

Now she's holding her breath and looking into intense, deep green eyes.

He's looking back.

Bella screams then, because the water's just sprayed wildly into the sides of both their faces.

Suddenly, Edward's moving away and off, quick as a whip. He's trying, and then he's succeeding as he catches that wild devil-of-a-loose spray hose. He closes the valve tight and drops it to the grass. His eyes take in a stunned Bella Swan, who's now sitting up on her knees, right where he left her, staring at him, speechless.

He has a sudden urge to run, but he has no idea why. He just watches as she calmly removes a strand of hair that's plastered to her forehead.

She finally says, quietly, "You should go on and take lunch now."

He can't get a read on her right now, at all. Only thing he's sure of is that they are both remembering that kiss. His answer is slow. "Okay." He rakes his finger through his wet hair. "I'm meetin' Esme and Carlisle at _BarleyPop_ if you want to, um…"

"No."

"Right." He looks down at his very wet attire then back up, laughing a bit at himself. "I'll be back soon, though, to haul off those weeds to the clearing."

She's still in shock at what he's just said about changing that messed-up kiss. She's afraid she's going to start laughing, hysterical-like. Her eyes drift down to his sopping wet chest and back up again. She puts her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. Then, she points, saying, "I can, um, see your nipples."

Edward glances down and back up, grinning as he pulls his wet shirt away from his chest and lets it pop back. "Well, I must be freezing."

She cocks her dripping-wet head to the side, fully comprehending that he's just used her own words from last night and trying not to smile as she's reaching for a lump of loose grass and dirt, readying to throw it at Edward's head.

No doubt about it this time. He takes off running.

Bella sits back with a huff and lets that smile morph on to her face. She glances left and sees old Max watching her from his front porch, clapping at her as he holds his own hose under his arm-pit, letting the water fall into his flower bed, his pipe hanging down from his mouth.

Bella's thinking he can go choke on it. She yells out, "Bring back my cornbread tin, Max."

Damned hose.

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**a/n …review, review, review…please, review…love love…*twirls*…**

**Tiddies Sandals™ - I do not own these, but I DID wear the hell out of a few pair in the 80s. So did my big brother. La.**

**__****__****fyi: i've posted images/pix over on my blog, peeps - ****rubyblue9696 dot wordpress dot com**** (you know what to do)**

**xxx jess**


	7. Messin' Part I

_**Disclaimer: Meyer made the mold but we are all here to break it. I own nothing except this here story's events.**_

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_**beta'd by jcat5507**_

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**Go Fish**

**Chapter 07 – Messin' Part I**

"I was not, Jasper!"

"Oh, well I guess he's just lyin'. I s'pose he's made it all up."

Bella just gives an exaggerated sigh in reply.

"Look, darlin'…I am getting' a view of what's going on here from two vantage points—yours and Edward's."

"Ugh, this is so stupid."

Had Bella realized that her friend Jasper was going to razz her, she would have never picked his sorry ass up in the first place. Boy, was she stupid…and embarrassed. He's like the proverbial smack-to-the-back-of-your-head.

Bella's just arrived and picked up Jasper from his place, as they are fixin' to head over to Carlisle and Esme's place for their bi-weekly Sunday evening dinner. They will all relocate to Bella's next time around and then Jasper's two weeks after. Sue's house will kick back into the rotation when she's ready to start socializing again.

Three days have passed since the incident with the hose had occurred. More precisely, three days since Edward's promise to change that kiss. She might have, sort of missed him a little bit, fishing down at The Spot this morning. Why she thought he may have shown up is beyond her. She's been avoiding him as much as she could—which has proved difficult to accomplish when one is the other's boss.

Edward's been messin' with her, too.

It'd gone something like this.

Incident day—Thursday. Not three hours after Edward had left for lunch, Bella—elbow deep in receipts and orders and having decided already that it'd be better safe than sorry for her to steer clear of Edward—sat at her grandfather's old roll-top desk, pencil stuck through her messy bun and her old-fashioned reading glasses on. She'd just finished punching numbers when her doorbell sounded, and she rose to find that Edward had been the one to ring her bell. He was asking to borrow tools and the weed eater. He had needed to "tighten 'er up"—meaning the loose screen door—and "trim the hedges"—meaning…the hedges.

Oh, yeah.

How could she forget?

He'd been shirtless, too, leaning with his arm resting high against her oak door frame. Not easy to ignore, what with said removed white T-shirt dangling from the front pocket of his jeans. The jeans that hung especially low due to a hard day's work outside…and Edward's lean, narrow hips. Not to mention, the tip of his nose and his exposed upper-chest had begun to turn pink from the day's sun. He had been so utterly handsome, and so freakin' sexy, it had almost killed Bella to look.

She'd been like a deer caught in the headlights, almost unable to tear her gaze away.

Self-preservation had Bella yelling, "It's all around side of the shed!" and slamming her front door and locking it.

Next morning—Friday. The power had gone out in the middle of the night, and Bella's alarm hadn't gone off. She hurried to get ready and bruised her right hip real good in the process, bangin' it against the edge of her bed frame. She'd rushed out of her back screen door after grabbing a banana first, and came to—yet again—another dead stop.

In front of her was her load of shingles. The load Ben Cho called on yesterday, telling her it had arrived. Max had been in the room the very same time she'd received that call, the sneaky bastard, and she'd realized he'd told Edward. That's when she'd become aware of banging and pounding and had turned her head to her right.

And there she'd seen him—her hired hand, Edward—atop the roof of the _Pink Evening Primrose_…alongside a very huge Emmett McCarthy, who'd been fiddlin' with his portable jam box. They'd both had their shirts off as they pounded away at that roof. Rosalie lounged on the lawn in her mesh chair and drank her umbrella-sporting—sure to be a virgin—fruit beverage.

Edward had seen Bella standing on her back deck. Just like his new self—Mr. Sexy with a side of smarty-pants—he stood from his bent position, wiped his sweat off with the back of his arm, and stared at her and then nodded down to the pile of shingles…and winked.

She'd been all _holy hell_.

Bella'd been so miffed—really, just caught off guard—and aroused at the same damn time, she'd stormed back into her house while Emmett had yelled out for her not to worry because "he and Edward were partyin' his kind of way", and then she'd heard loud music blare out as Mr. Mellencamp crooned about a certain _Jack and Diane_.

For sanity's sake, she'd had to leave for the rest of the day, but not before she'd driven a nail into her deck post and hung a small cork board up attached with Edward's to-do list for that entire day. Thank God for Angela, Nettie Young and that orphanage pie-raffling event.

After a six-hour, pie-filled afternoon and early evening, Bella'd arrived home exhausted, to find that posted to-do list still in its spot, only it had check marks next to each listed thing. And right next to it, another note had been pinned, saying "goodnight" and "don't let the Edward-bugs bite" with a hand-drawn bug sportin' humongous teeth and bitin' at a stick-figured ass.

Confused, Bella had gone into her house and noticed right off that a few things were off kilter. One, her three kitchen plants—all planted in various mason jar containers—had been moved and were not in their respectful places around her kitchen sink. Two, the small foot rug that should be where she stood while she washed dishes, had been moved to the floor on the other side of her wooden kitchen table.

Irritated is what she'd felt then.

Next day—Saturday morning. Unable to sleep, Bella'd woken up early, donned her man-robe and gone into her kitchen to start a pot 'o Joe, only to find that there were fresh baked kolaches and a small basket of blackberries waiting on her stove, along with a note from Esme. Seems Esme'd had Edward bring them over…before eight o'clock in the morning…and on Edward's day off.

She'd been dazed and staring out her kitchen window as her percolator perked, thinking on the night before and what she'd found in her kitchen that morning, when she'd zoned back in and seen the two of them. Apparently, Edward had brought some for her neighbor, Max, as well. She'd watched them as Max, standing under the lip of his roof, motioned—with lit pipe in hand—to the areas of his rain gutters that Edward was to clean out and fix. His mouth had been full of sausage and cheese kolache.

Edward, spying Bella through that same kitchen window, winked and nodded at her again, and she'd become off kilter then. She was thinking, red-faced as she'd ducked away from that window to fetch a spoon for stirring, that it was a good thing he'd had his shirt on, at least. When she'd opened her top flatware drawer she'd become flummoxed, because the damned drawer had been empty.

She'd whipped back up, and that's when she'd seen that Max was gone, and Edward was, indeed, fucking shirtless again. He was staring straight at her, too, as he'd stood up at her window looking in. Then he'd mouthed at her—with a mischievous grin—asking if something was wrong.

Bella'd about blown a short-fuse.

She always knew Edward Cullen was rotten to his core, the little trick player.

When she'd left a bit later to go grocery shop, she'd seen another cork-board note from Edward on her way out. It'd said "Can't cork what you can't contain, B", with the second word underlined profusely.

Her mouth had dropped open. She'd looked from side to side, expecting to find Edward watching, except he wasn't. But she did find that her rolled up hose had been moved to the other side of her deck.

She'd left before she could see him again—most likely all sweaty and dirty and not shirted—and instead of going grocery shopping, she'd taken a detour and gone straight to _BarleyPop_ and downed one tequila shot and a beer in two minutes flat.

Three days of a shirtless Edward working and messin' around brings her back to the present. She's not really sure how she had survived.

Jasper snorts, jostling Bella out of her head and saying, "Stupid is as stupid—"

"Oh, Jesus! Why does everyone have to say that all the time?" Bella's gettin' all riled up and Jasper's only just gotten into her truck.

"Well, because—"

"I don't really want an answer, Jaz."

"You know he had a run-in with Embry, Friday mornin' when he drove to Lux and picked up those shingles from Ben's lot. Second run-in, matter of fact."

This is news to her, and she finds herself wanting to have words with Ben Cho…and with Edward.

The Cho's were a smart family. Owning the only 'Home Depot' type store near 'bouts, they were bound to be successful. Their son, Ben, in particular—an only child—had a knack with most folks and knew the business end of the stick better than either of his parents. Bella didn't even know his parents' names. They were just Mr. and Mrs. Cho, and they knew Bella well. She and Charlie had been unwavering customers for years and, no doubt, had made over one-hundred purchases from their business, alone.

Staring at him, she says, simply, "Well, neither of those came from my hand." She sees the very moment his mind goes into the gutter.

"Oh, really? Well, I'm pretty sure you jerked—"

"Jasper 'Juvenile' Raxlin, don't you dare say your next words." Her eyes narrow.

He's just smiling at Bella. "You're avoiding Edward, plain as day."

"I wouldn't have needed to if he'd just stay out of my way."

"He's in your way."

"Yes, he's gettin' in my way."

"How so, exactly?"

She blinks.

She blinks again and huffs.

Frustrated, she practically shouts, "Fuck! I don't even fucking know!"

Jasper's all giggles now, offering to pass her his lit joint.

"No thanks, Jasper." Bella shoves his hand away and groans.

"It'll help with your nerves, Bella Bee. I swear."

She scoffs, "Yeah, after my paranoia fades. You know I hate that phase. And then I get all, like, stupid-stoned."

Jasper's blowing smoke out through his nose when he speaks. "Not this, B. I swear." He sucks his breath back in one more time and holds it, then lets it whoosh out with one little cough. "This is KB, Bella…KB. You'll go straight to the giggles and right on to your munchies, feelin' good all the way and smilin'."

She looks at Jasper and can see that he's all relaxed and droopy-eyed already. She smiles at him, suddenly wishing that he'll always stay this easy-going way. "Give mine to Carlisle, okay?"

"Already plannin' on it, sweetheart. Esme said she's had to hide Carlisle's mini-bong. He keeps leaving it out on the store counter next to the cash register. He's been poutin'." He pauses and tokes again, then resumes as he's holdin' it in. "Damn fool'd be the lucky one and have Embry Young walk in on a bad day and find it."

At that, Bella rolls her brown eyes. "What day isn't bad for Embry?" Starting the engine up again, she backs out of Jasper's drive. She swerves and swears. "Goddamn it, Jasper! Keep those canoe's out of the way! I almost backed over one."

Jasper just giggles and snorts out a "you get out of their way" and laughs some more, fiddling with her radio.

Bella can see he's officially reached Stonerville.

Pulling around and getting back onto Toe Road, they begin to make the half-mile drive down the way to the Cullen's place.

They go along, quiet for all of seven seconds until Jasper whispers out, more to himself, "Cork."

"He told you everything, didn't he?" It's accusatory sounding, and it took less than a nanosecond for Bella to spit it out.

"Maybe." Jasper giggles again.

She's trying hard not to smile herself as she demands, "Just, stop…now."

They pull up to _Moose's Mini Mart_, park, and get out. Someone drives by on the 183 and honks and waves. Jasper raises a lazy hand and waves back to them, yelling, "Check ya later!"

Bella cracks up and mimics Jasper, "Check ya later! Check ya later!" She's doing her best 'Slater' impersonation.

Playfully, Jasper shoves her shoulder, and Bella falls back a bit, stopping suddenly as she hits up against something that feels an awful lot like a person…with a gun?

Thinking the worst, Bella screeches, high-pitched, and starts to run, but two large hands grip at her upper arms and turn her around with a quick spin.

Adrenaline rushing—and dizzy-headed to boot—Bella's completely thrown off guard. Her hands instinctively grip at thin air and then claw into a pair of strong forearms as she hears Jasper and Edward begin laughing. Her eyes focus onto Edward's smug face, and she says, stupidly, "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" Her eyes bug out. She glances down and back up, quickly.

Whew, it's a spatula.

Jasper's all giggles again.

Edward cracks a grin, answering back, "You really want me to answer that, Bella?"

"No! No, I do not!" She tries to smack Edward's chest, but he pulls her in closer to thwart her. "You scared the bejesus out of me, Edward!" If a shriek can sound breathless, then Bella Swan's just accomplished the feat. "What the hell are you doing?"

Edward's chin drops to his chest as he looks at her through his long, dark lashes. "I was taking out the trash for Esme. What do you think I am doing?"

She's got nothing.

She wasn't expecting him to be in attendance tonight for their Sunday dinner. She looks around, searching—for what she doesn't know. Maybe someplace to run and hide.

Edward's on to her, saying, "That's not gonna fly tonight, Bella. No more avoidin' or hidin'. And, I'm in charge of cooking dinner."

She looks into his green eyes, and despite his lopsided smile, she knows he is serious.

Jasper giggles again, and then cough-chokes on his cotton mouth and asks, "Anyone got some water?"

Fucking Jasper.

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**a/n …THANK YOU ****THE LEMONADE STAND**** THANK YOU!...and to all of you who are helping to rec my story…LOVE LOVE LOVE…**

…**now, read-review-love…please…*twirls*…**

**song credit****: **_**Jack and Diane**_** by John Cougar Mellenchamp (one of my fav's on a Sunday mornin')**

**song lyric credit****: **_**Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain **_**by Susan Vega (Note: I heard this lyric this past Saturday morning due to SXSW mania. It is not used as a lyric in this chapter, nor did I use the exact wording, but I gotta give props to Vega for the idea behind my usage.)**

**movie quote credit****: **_**Dazed and Confused**_** by Richard Linklater – "Check ya later!" ~Slater**

**xxx jess**

**p/s …i cut this chapter in half…so…yeah…**


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